Protesters, convoy converge on the Alberta Legislature during throne speech

Protesters gathered outside of the Alberta Legislature Tuesday, as MLAs made their way back into the house ahead of a throne speech and new provincial budget.

Hundreds waved Canadian flags and demanded "freedom!" in coordinated chants.

“It’s time to move past the COVID-19 mandates. It’s time to move past the prison that our governments held us to,” said Amy Sloan, who drove in from Grande Prairie.

“Every one of us here that came with my group today is double vaccinated,” claimed protester Jason Garratt, who came from Valleyview.

“This is completely 100 per cent about our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and having that back in place.”

A poster for the "Throne Speech Convoy" that was circulating on Facebook prior to the gathering also listed "remove Jason Kenney" as a demand. It declared solidarity with protests that happened in Ottawa and near Coutts.

Police issued a traffic advisory for a convoy protest that also made its way through the city toward the legislature.

A man on a bicycle stopped in the middle of an intersection near the Federal Building, and effectively blocked a convoy of trucks.

"Just exercising my right to have a legal protest, like everyone else in the area," he said, adding he was troubled to see some of the flags that the vehicles were flying.

Sheriffs blocked off roads in the area and stopped protesters from gathering directly in front of the building while Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani delivered the throne speech at 3 p.m.

A protest at the Alberta Legislature Grounds on Feb. 22, 2022.

Police said traffic tie ups could last until 6 p.m. on nearly every major road in the city.

"Routes that may be impacted include Anthony Henday Drive, Highway 16/Yellowhead Trail, Whitemud Drive, Gateway Blvd, Walterdale Hill, Queen Elizabeth Park Road and the downtown core," Edmonton Police Service spokesperson Cheryl Sheppard said in a news release.

EPS asked convoy organizers not to honk their horns or create excessive noise, warning that tickets will be written.

"We recognize that these demonstrations cause significant disruptions to traffic and create many concerns for residents and businesses; however, citizens are reminded that 911 should only be used in emergency situations," Sheppard added.

EPS announced Tuesday afternoon that officers would be issuing 109 violations to protesters.

Those included:

• 2 noise tickets
• 2 mail-out distracted driving tickets
• 57 other tickets (27 issued, 30 to be mailed out)
• 1 bylaw offence
• 46 other moving violations (12 issued, 34 to be mailed out)
• 1 criminal code driving-related offence

Police estimated 225 vehicles and 1500 people participated.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Joe Scarpelli